The Queen and Canada

Every now and then you hear those anarchistic rumblings - Canada should rid itself of the monarchy and establish some sort of republic.

While it's not necessarily a bad idea in and of itself, one is left to wonder what exactly would be the tangible benefits of leaving the monarchy behind.

The monarchy in general, and Queen Elizabeth II specifically, is a symbol of the old and the new. And for Canada, that blend is crucial to our national identity.

As Canadians, we honour and celebrate the lives of those who died fighting for the King/Queen and country every year on Remembrance Day. And while the rest of the country celebrates Canada's birthday on July 1, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians remember those members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme at Beaumont Hamel. Don't think the monarchy has much to do with wartime memories? Ask that question of our war vets and see what kind of answer you get.

The Queen's lack of an invitation to the recent 65th anniversary D-Day commemoration ceremonies at Normandy, France, caused an international uproar. Why? Because she is probably the only current head of state that was alive on D-Day and participated in the wartime campaign. Even if she never actually saw battle, she did her part by joining the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a driver and mechanic, driving a military truck, and rising to the rank of junior commander.

To put it simply, the Queen is a clear symbol of what Britain, the Commonwealth, and the Allied forces went through to reclaim democracy and peace in the face of the Nazi and fascist forces.

Speaking of democracy, some people tend to wonder how a Canadian democracy can work whereby an unelected person can act as a head of state.

Well, for those of us who paid attention in school, we have what's called a constitutional monarchy. For Canadians, the monarch basically acts as a symbol and guarantor of a stable government. Sort of a referee to make sure the elected parliamentarians behave themselves and don't abuse their power.

Perhaps the most recent example of this came in late 2008, when Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean (who acts as the Queen's representative in Canada) suspended Parliament for a few weeks on the request of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The move was widely - although not entirely - seen as a way to stabilize Parliament when dealing with a minority government.

The monarch (or the governor general in Canada) essentially acts as the people's representative in Parliament, as they remain unpartisan when dealing with governmental affairs. They know their duties, and they stick to them, regardless of what political party is in power. The same can't be said for republics, such as the United States or France, whereby their head of state has some sort of political platform and therefore runs the risk of alienating or upsetting portions of their populations.

Even these elected heads of state tend to have a soft spot for monarchy. American President Barack Obama has done nothing short of gush when speaking of the Queen.

"I'm very much looking forward to meeting [the Queen]," the president said before the two met at Buckingham Palace earlier this year. "And as you might imagine, [First Lady] Michelle has been really thinking that through because I think in the imagination of people throughout America, I think what the Queen stands for and her decency and her civility, what she represents, that's very important."

The monarchy can also seen as something of a glue that binds our multicultural backgrounds together. When the Queen visits Canada, she generally takes in all sorts of events that display Canada's unique and varied heritage. What does this show? Well, that it's ok to be different, but we're all Canadians and that we can live with our differences while sharing in some common bonds.

When the Gov. Gen. recently visited Nunavut to help celebrate the territory's 10th anniversary, she took part in a local festival whereby she sliced into and ate a small piece of raw seal heart. That seemingly small and polite act garnered worldwide attention because of the ongoing debate over Canada's seal hunt. But it was also a clear sign of support and respect for Inuit hunters and seal hunters in general, showing that seals are hunted for more than just their coats.

In it's own way, the monarchy is also a symbol of evolving cultural ideals. The Queen recently had a vegetable garden installed on the grounds of Buckingham Palace. This comes at the same time as many people in Britain are looking to grow and harvest their own food during these uncertain economic times. Her garden also happens to be organic, which could be seen as a nod to the modern environmental movement.

One could say the monarchy is a package deal for Canadians - representing our past, reflecting our present and joining in our future.